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Six New England Companies Settle with EPA for Pesticide Violations

(Boston, Mass. – Feb. 20, 2008) – Six companies based in New England that produce pesticide products recently settled with EPA for failing to properly submit annual production reports to the Agency, as required by federal law.

The law that governs pesticide use in the U.S., the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), requires pesticide manufacturers to submit annual production reports to EPA. According to the EPA complaints, each of the six companies has failed on at least one previous occasion to properly submit this information.

The companies have addressed all violations and have paid fines of up to $5,400. Penalties were based on several factors including the type of violation and size of the business.

Section 7 of FIFRA requires that each registered pesticide producing establishment submit annual production reports to EPA on or before March 1st. These reports are the only means that EPA has for obtaining information on the types and amounts of pesticides being produced, sold or distributed both domestically and for export during the year. EPA uses the information to trace ineffective, contaminated or recalled pesticide products, among other purposes.

Pesticides include insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, antimicrobials or other substances and pest control devices used to control insects, weeds or microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses.